Jussie Smollett pays $50K to charity to settle hate crime hoax lawsuit
CHICAGO — Former 'Empire' star Jussie Smollett will reportedly donate $50,000 to charity to resolve the city of Chicago's lawsuit against the actor, who prompted a hate crime investigation with a fabricated claim he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack.
A judge still needs to sign off on the agreement to finally end a standoff that began in 2017 after investigators determined he staged the attack as a 'publicity stunt' to advance his career.
Smollett's payment to a charity of his choice will settle the matter without requiring an admission of wrongdoing, according to TMZ. Chicago's Building Better Futures Center for the Arts, an organization that offers mental health services and education programs for underprivileged youth, will reportedly reap the benefits of his payout.
Smollett claimed in January 2019 that unknown assailants put him in a noose and said 'This is MAGA country!' in the Windy City.
But investigators allege that didn't happen, saying brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo confessed to having been involved in a scheme orchestrated by the actor to make it look as though he'd been accosted by bigots. Smollett is Black and gay.
Abimbola claimed in a 2024 interview that Smollett didn't say why he wanted to perpetrate the hoax, but complained that TV producers weren't taking alleged hate mail sent to him seriously enough. The brothers thought helping a big TV star would advance their own acting careers.
Smollett was found guilty on a handful of charges related to the scheme in 2021, but had his conviction overturned due to a plea deal with county prosecutors. He has denied wrongdoing.
The investigation into his allegations reportedly cost Chicago taxpayers $120,000.
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